


Going for Peanuts

by A Crimson Phoenix (cw151)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Compliant, F/M, First Meetings, News Media, Pissed off Steve Rogers, Relationship(s), Romance, ShieldShock - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-02-12 09:00:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2103612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cw151/pseuds/A%20Crimson%20Phoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After "Thor: The Dark World," Darcy Lewis finally crosses paths with Steve Rogers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Going for Peanuts

The bass vibrated throughout the giant room, cutting through every drink, body and piece of furniture. Lights were flashing and Darcy got lost in the music. She had to admit that being Jane’s Intern/Personal Assistant did have mounting advantages. For one, she actually got paid now. Ever since Jane had been able to control the portals between the different alien worlds opening in London, Stark Industries had realized exactly how much of a valuable asset she was. Well, Darcy suspected that most of all, _Tony_ had realized what a great scientific catch Jane was, so only days after Thor had gotten back from Asgard, Jane, him and Darcy had found themselves on a plane back to New York. Stark Industries was now generously funding all of Jane’s research, and Jane had received an entire “lab floor” to herself at Stark Tower, along with a PA (Darcy) and several lab assistants (with actual sciency-degrees, not poli-sci like hers). Jane and Thor even lived in Stark Tower – Jane because it meant the shortest way to work ever, and Thor because Stark Tower was where Jane was. Darcy also suspected that both Tony and Thor enjoyed the living arrangements on top of that – Tony seemed to take a very particular delight in showing Thor the workings of life on Earth when Jane was busy in her lab.

 

Darcy herself did not live in Stark Tower, but in a small, one-bedroom apartment in Lower Manhattan. It did eat up a large amount of her newly-gained income and required a daily commute to Columbus Circle, but Darcy preferred it that way – while she didn’t mind Stark’s generosity (who’d also offered her an apartment in Stark Tower), she wanted to preserve some kind of independence from the crazy superhero-life she’d gotten involved in. She was still trying to figure out what exactly it was that she wanted to do with her life and she wasn’t sure if living in the same house as people like Iron Man, Thor, Jane and Pepper Potts would really help her get a clear vision of what real life was like.

 

Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t cash in on _some_ of the benefits of the superhero/Tony-Stark-lifestyle, such as this truly amazing club outing. Apparently, a night-out on Wednesday night was part of the Starks’ Thanksgiving tradition, and so for the first time (and possibly the last) in her life, Darcy found herself in the VIP section of one of New York’s hottest clubs. It had its own bar, its own dance floor, and even stereotypical velvety ropes separating the VIP area from the jam-packed rest of the club. Darcy certainly wasn’t going to complain about this aspect of her job connections.

 

The song changed and Darcy decided to get herself something to drink. As she made her way over to the bar, she had a look around their roped-off-section. Thor was playing a very involved drinking game with Tony, and judging by the loud laughs of the people around them – including Jane – it seemed to be hilarious. Pepper was sitting on a bar stool, sipping a cocktail and talking to The Black Widow, who tonight went by “Natalie Rushman” once again, presumably to protect her own identity. Darcy had heard quite a lot about Agent Romanoff in the short time she’d spent at Stark Tower so far, and from what she’d heard, she had immediately developed a healthy respect for the woman. Even if her sources probably exaggerated some of Agent Romanoff’s traits a little bit, Darcy didn’t want to get on the agent’s wrong side in any way.

 

And those were already all the people that Darcy knew. There were plenty of other VIP guests around – mostly very good-looking model-types and/or seemingly rich kids – but Darcy had no idea who they were. Tony was very inclusive when it came to partying.

 

When she arrived at the bar, she noticed that the noise level there seemed to have decreased significantly compared to the dance floor. As she waited for the guy in front of her to move away with the drinks he’d just bought, Darcy’s eyes fell on two girls just off to the side of the bar. Both of them were standing with their backs against the wall, drinks in hand. Facing them were two hunky guys who clearly wanted to get lucky that night. Judging from the girls’ facial expressions, however, that was not going to happen.

 

“One water, please,” Darcy mouthed at the bartender. She was close enough to the girls now to hear their exchange with the guys.

“- no, dude, I told you, we’re not interested. Now, _please_ , leave us alone!” Darcy heard one of them say loudly.

“Come on, babe, just a little dance. Don’t be so uptight!” one of the hunky guys replied just as Darcy exchanged her water for a few dollar notes.

“Don’t touch me! We said no, so get out of our way!” The girl’s voice got angrier and more desperate. Darcy sighed inwardly. Seriously, what was wrong with some people?

“Yo, babe, don’t – “

“Leave her alone, she told you she’s not interested!” Darcy almost yelled to make sure that she was heard over the music.

The talkative – and apparently handsy – hunky guy froze and turned to her.

“What did you say?” His face contained a weird mixture of disbelief and barely guarded aggression. Darcy swallowed and straightened up a little. She held her water tight, prepared to empty the glass at the guy if she needed to escape. Where was her taser when she needed it?

“I said: Leave them alone. They don’t want to talk to you,” Darcy repeated, her voice firm.

“Oh yeah? Well, none of you bitches gets to tell me what to do.” Talkative Hunky Guy took a menacing step towards Darcy. He was almost two feet taller than her, with dark, slick hair, a polo shirt, a very expensive watch, and an increasingly furious facial expression. His not-so-talkative-yet-just-as-hunky companion backed him up. Seriously, the two of them against her? Darcy swallowed once again. How did she always get herself into these kind of situations?

“I think someone needs to teach you to keep your mouth shut!” Talkative Hunky Guy continued as he advanced further towards Darcy, who involuntarily took a step back. She slowly got her right arm ready to throw her water at the guys and to make a run for it. She just hoped that she’d be able to make it over to Thor and Tony before the hunky guys caught up with her.

But just as Talkative Hunky Guy reached out to grab her, his arm got twisted behind his back and he yelped in pain.

“And _I_ think you should apologize to the ladies for your language and for your behavior,” Darcy heard a deep and serious voice say. She followed the Hunk’s twisted arm. It was held back by a very athletic blonde guy wearing a stern facial expression.

“Ugh! What the hell-“ Talkative Hunky Guy hissed. The blonde guy only pulled his hold tighter.

“Ow! Okay, okay! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Talkative Hunky Guy shouted. Blonde Guy let go of Hunky Guy’s arm but his facial expression remained impenetrable. Two security staff showed up next to Blonde Guy.

 

“These men were just about to leave. Why don’t you help them find their way out,” Blonde Guy told them tersely. His eyes seemed to pierce right through the men opposite him.

“You are going to regret this!” Talkative Hunky Guy spat at Blonde Guy before he and his not-so-talkative friend disappeared in the crowd, framed by the two security officers. Blonde Guy watched them disappear for a second before he faced Darcy.

“Are you alright, miss?” he asked. His deep-blue eyes now scrutinized hers, and Darcy noticed that a small crease had formed on his forehead. Blonde Guy seemed to genuinely care about the situation, and not in a “look-at-me-the-super-macho-saving-the-damsel-in-distress” kind of way.

“Miss?”

Darcy shook her head slightly to clear her head.

“What? Yes! Yes, I’m fine, thanks!” she sputtered. Blonde Guy’s face lit up a little and he nodded shortly. Darcy quickly scanned him head to toe. Damn, he looked good. A few strands of his sandy blonde hair fell on to his now crease-free forehead, and his perfectly even features ended in one of the sexiest jawlines Darcy had ever seen. And that was only his head. Darcy was usually not drawn to model-type guys, but in this case, she had to admit that the guy had it all. Most importantly though, the guy seemed to actually be _nice._

 

She tore her gaze from Blonde Guy’s face to check on the two girls that the Hunky Guys had threatened. Blonde Guy followed her gaze. Needless to say, the two girls were immensely relieved and thanked Blonde Guy several times. They even offered to buy him a drink, which he politely declined. Shortly afterwards, the girls were off to join the remainder of their group, which apparently hadn’t even noticed what was going on. Darcy did a quick sweep of the room. As a matter of fact, hardly anyone seemed to have noticed the altercation. Thor, Tony and their audience were still deeply invested in the drinking game, and all other partygoers were still going about their usual dance/drink/talk-business. Last of all, Darcy shot a quick glance over to the table where she’d seen Pepper and Agent Romanoff earlier. Pepper wasn’t there anymore, but Agent Romanoff was still in the same spot. Only now, Agent Romanoff was staring at her and Blonde Guy with an inscrutable facial expression. Darcy quickly averted her eyes and looked back at Blonde Guy.

“Thanks for saving me. I’m really not sure if my planned water-in-the-face-and-run maneuver would have been successful,” Darcy said with a light smile.

“You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help. What you did was very brave,” Blonde Guy replied. “Many people wouldn’t even have stood up against those guys.”

“Yeah, probably because many people are a lot smarter than me,” Darcy replied. “I mean, not that I shouldn’t have helped – because I can’t _not_ help – but I guess I could have just gotten security straight away. Somehow I don’t always think before I act. Or before I open my mouth. I get carried away.” Her smile turned into a sheepish grin.

“I know what you mean.” Blonde Guy’s eyes lit up when he said it. “I also used to get into a lot of trouble when I just wanted to help.”

“How? Just one look at you should send all the bullies running!” Darcy grabbed his right arm with her free hand and held it out. “Just look at the size of you!”

An incredibly shy and embarrassed smile crossed Blonde Guy’s face. “It wasn’t always like this. _I_ wasn’t always like this. There was a time when I needed plenty of saving myself.”

“Well, I’m glad that you are using your newfound powers for good then.” Darcy countered. “I’m Darcy, by the way.”

“Steve Rogers,” Blonde Guy replied. It took a moment for Darcy’s mind to click. She raised her eyebrows.

“Wait, _Captain_ Steve Rogers?” she asked, trying to beat down the mixture of nervousness and excitement that quickly rose inside her.

Steve just gave her another sheepish smile.

“Yeah, but Steve is absolutely fine,” he replied.

“Wow, well that explains – _things_. _You_.” Darcy gestured up and down his body and quickly shook her head once again. “Sorry, I honestly had no idea. Thor talks about you all the time, so you’d think I should have recognized you.” She smiled. “Hey, that means you do have actual newfound superpowers that you are using for good. Not just a happy realization about the usefulness of workouts. I wasn’t too far off earlier.”

“Actually, it’s just genetic enhancement. Fitness, no superpowers,” Steve explained, still a bit abashed. “How do you know Thor?”

“I tased him,” Darcy replied matter-of-factly, and Steve did a double-take. “In New Mexico, when he first came to Earth. Jane, Erik and I ran into him with our RV. By accident, of course. Fortunately he’s built the way he is so he didn’t get hurt. Just a few scratches. He was scary, though, so I still tased him.”

Steve’s facial expression seemed torn between confused and amused.

“But then he saved us all from that Destroyer-thing, and fell in love with Jane in the process. I’m Jane’s assistant, and ever since Thor’s moved down to Earth – or at least I think he has, he didn’t actually say he did – he and I have been hanging out a lot when Jane was busy doing science.”

“So, you live at Stark Tower as well then?” Steve asked.

 

Darcy shook her head and quickly explained her living situation. Afterwards, there was an awkward silence. Darcy was just wondering if she should leave it at that and head back to Jane when Steve suddenly blurted out: “I’m sorry, I’m trying really hard to think of an alternative to ‘Can I buy you a drink?’ given that you already have one and I really don’t want our conversation to be over.”

Darcy had to bite the inside of her cheek to make sure her grin wouldn’t get as wide and giddy as her insides seemed to want it to go.

“Well, you could just ask me to dance. Or you could invite me to have some peanuts. I haven’t got anything to eat right now and they seem to have some behind the bar,” she replied, desperately hoping that she came across even remotely nonchalant.

“I’ll go for the peanuts then. I’m not sure I’m made for dancing,” Steve replied with a relieved smile. Darcy raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll only believe that when I see it! Let’s start with the peanuts, though,” she replied as she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the bar.

 

Across the room, an amused glint appeared in the eyes of Natalie Rushman.


	2. Lockdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cut off from all communication with Steve, all Darcy can do is to watch and hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my take on a) why Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk weren't rushing to Captain America's aid during CATWS, and b) what the girls were doing in the meantime.

 

 

Darcy woke with a start. She hadn’t even noticed that she’d fallen asleep. The bright sunlight falling through the windows of her guest suite at Stark Tower made her squint, and she immediately checked her phone.

 

Nothing.

 

No messages, no calls, nothing.

 

Sighing, she sat up, wincing as she noticed a pulled muscle at the back of her neck. She’d been trying so hard to stay awake in case there was any word from Steve that she’d refused to even go near the huge bed in the next room, no matter how comfortable and inviting it looked. It didn’t quite work however – instead, she’d just fallen asleep in an armchair in the living room, the tablet on which she’d been reading in her lap.

 

Darcy sighed and went to the bathroom to freshen up. As she was brushing her teeth, her mind wandered back to the extremely short phone call she’d had with Steve not even twelve hours ago. Steve’s voice had sounded incredibly urgent, and she could tell from his tone that he was in full mission-mode.

 

“Darcy, there’s something going on and I haven’t figured out what and how big it is. Could you stay at the Tower tonight? It’s just a precaution but it’d make me feel a lot better. I just talked to Tony and he said you could have one of his guest rooms. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

 

Only a few minutes later, Tony had come – or rather _flown_ \- home in his suit. He told her and Pepper that he’d just checked on Steve’s on-the-job apartment in DC because there had been an explosion, and that Director Fury had been seriously injured. Now, Steve was off catching the bad guys who did it, having refused Tony’s help for the time being.

 

After Darcy had freshened up a little, she took the elevator up to the general living area on the top floor. On her way up, Jarvis informed her that Jane and Thor were in Jane’s lab, and that Pepper and Tony were having breakfast. Dr. Banner was still in India with Dr. Ross to show her where he’d spent the last few years (and probably to rekindle the flame between the two, Darcy mused – those sparks between them were very hard to overlook).

 

True to Jarvis’s word, Darcy found Pepper and Tony eating pancakes at the kitchen island and quarrelling as they usually did. They stopped when Darcy came near them. 

 

“Good morning, Darcy! Would you like to have a pancake? It seems we have enough to feed an entire army!” Pepper greeted her with one of her incredibly heartwarming smiles. Darcy shot her a small smirk.

“Yeah, thanks!” She replied as she sat down on the chair next to Pepper’s.

“Heard anything from Steve?” Pepper asked. Darcy shook her head as she helped herself from a truly immense mountain of pancakes in the middle of the island.

“I’ve been keeping tabs on SHIELD’s servers. Nothing there about him either,” Tony replied, his mouth full of pancake. “As a matter of fact, hardly any new information at all since last night, and absolutely nothing on Fury.”

Pepper shot him a reproachful look and raised one of her eyebrows.

“I thought we talked about hacking into SHIELD’s databases,” she said, her voice cheerful yet somehow like steel.

Tony looked at her, eyes wide.

“We did, and we agreed that it was absolutely fine to take a look at their data in special situations, and this is most definitely a special situation, don’t you think? I mean, the safety of Capsicle is on the line here,” he replied, stuffing another fork-full of pancake into his mouth.

Pepper rolled her eyes.

“No, _you_ said it was fine to hack into SHIELD’s computers in special situations, and I said that we should clear it with them first. There’s a reason why SHIELD’s information isn’t accessible for everyone. How would you feel if they hacked into our Stark databases?” she asked, impatient.

“They couldn’t. There’s no way they’d get through our firewall,” Tony shot back with a wide grin before shoveling some more pancake into his mouth.

Pepper shook her head and turned her attention back to Darcy.

“I’m sure Steve is fine,” she said with a sympathetic smile.

Darcy just nodded and squirted a syrup smiley on to her pancakes.

 

Pepper spun back to Tony and was about to say something when Jarvis spoke up all of a sudden.

“Pardon the interruption, Ms. Potts, but SHIELD is requesting Mr. Stark’s and Mr. Odinson’s immediate assistance at an oil refinery fire in Canada.”

“Shanksh, Charvish,” Tony said through another mouthful of pancake as he drew up the files SHIELD sent over on the table surface next to him.

“Well, that looks bad. Better get going,” he said as he gulped and hopped off his stool. He gave Pepper a quick peck on the cheek and then fixed his gaze on Darcy.

“Stay here, ok? I promised Steve I’d look after you,” he said in a serious tone that was very much unlike his usual chipper self. Darcy just nodded.

“Great,” Tony grinned, took another bite from his plate, waved at them, and then headed off to the balcony to get into his suit. A few seconds later, he was joined by Thor who smiled at Darcy through the window, and then the two were off.

“Right, I have to get to work as well. Are you going to be ok? I’m really sorry that I have to leave you like this but I have a conference call in a few minutes,” Pepper said as she, too, got up.

Darcy gave her a crooked smile.

“That’s ok, don’t worry. I’ll head down to Jane in a minute, anyway,” she replied.

Pepper gave her a last compassionate smile before she left the kitchen.

 

Darcy had just pulled up Candy Crush on her phone when Pepper’s worried voice rang into the room.

“Darcy! You have to come see this!”

Darcy immediately slipped off her stool and jogged into the living room. Pepper was standing in front of the television, which was currently filled with a headshot of Steve.

“… anyone knowing of the Captain’s whereabouts is asked to notify authorities via the number at the bottom of the screen immediately. Do not try to confront him – he is armed and extremely dangerous, as you just saw from our footage of his breakout from SHIELD headquarters.” The TV presenter’s voice was ringing in Darcy’s ears.

“Wait, what? They’re looking for Steve like he’s a criminal?” she said, desperately looking at Pepper for an explanation.

“I know, I have no idea what’s going on,” Pepper replied, shocked.

On the screen, the news program switched from Steve’s headshot to air footage of him riding a motorcycle across a bridge. A quinjet was confronting him, but Steve took it out, and it crashed in a giant fireball behind him. Darcy’s heart seemed to stop for a second.

“Right now you’re seeing the footage of his escape that we showed you earlier already. This was happening right after Captain America was supposed to be questioned in connection to the death of a high-ranking SHIELD officer. So, again, if you see Captain America anywhere, don’t talk to him and don’t try to stop him, just call the number at the bottom of the screen.”

 

Darcy swallowed. Apparently Fury was dead, and SHIELD seemed to think Steve killed him. Panic and fear were rising inside her. She unconsciously reached for her phone, but there were still no calls or messages. For a brief second she thought about calling Steve, but then stopped herself right away. She was sure that SHIELD knew about her connection to him, just like they knew everything, meaning that she was certainly being watched right now.

“I have no idea what this is about, but I think we both know that there is no way that Steve is a criminal. I’m assuming that the “high-ranking SHIELD officer” is Fury. Wow.” Pepper paused for a second. “I can’t believe he’s dead!”

Pepper silenced the TV and turned to Darcy.

“I know this is really scary for you. I’ll try and contact Tony and Thor right away,” she said, rubbing Darcy’s upper arm. The clacking of her heels filled the room as she headed across it to her home office.

Darcy swallowed and took a deep breath. She pressed her eyes shut and forced herself to calm down. She absolutely needed to stay levelheaded now. Maybe there was a way that she could still help Steve.

 

Just a second later Pepper came back to the room.

“Ok, this is getting even stranger. I think someone has jammed our outgoing communications. I can’t reach Tony, or Stark offices, or anyone outside the Tower,” she said, tapping on her phone as she spoke. “Whatever I do, it says ‘Call failed.’ And the Internet isn’t working either.”

“But the TV does work, so satellite reception seems to be ok,” Darcy replied grimly.

“Jarvis, could you please look into that?” Pepper called as she dropped onto the sofa next to Darcy. “Try everything you can to lift the block.”

Jarvis confirmed her order and then remained silent, presumably to execute it. Darcy groaned.

“What if Jarvis can’t fix this? Should we leave?” she asked. “At least you could go to the office.”

Pepper thought about that for a moment, but then shook her head.

“No. Something is clearly wrong right now. Until we know exactly what’s going on, we should stay here. We’re safe here. Even if we can’t communicate externally, no-one can come into the tower if we don’t want it. Tony and I made sure of that when we built it.” She raised her voice.

“Jarvis! Initiate protocol 11-5-B, Tower Lockdown.”

“Protocol 11-5-B activated,” the computerized voice replied.

“Great, thank you. Please also make sure that everyone who is not Dr. Foster, Ms. Lewis, or me leaves the tower right away,” Pepper added.

“Yes, ma’am,” came the confirmation.

“Could you ask Jane if she can work up here today? I’d feel much better if we’re all in one place. I have a bad feeling about all this,” Pepper asked Darcy, who just nodded. Her eyes were back on the TV screen and her brain was still desperately trying to wrap itself around the pictures she was seeing.

 

They called Jane via the internal communications system and then sat down on the couch in front of the soundless TV.

“I have to say that I’m really worried,” Pepper said quietly. “Captain America really is a national hero, a sappy as it sounds. To brand him a criminal and in such an intense fashion is not just a blip. People have seen and heard what he’s done for us, at least during World War II and during the Battle of New York. If you publicly announce someone with Steve’s image to be a criminal, it is a very deliberate move. Given that we both know that Steve would never kill Fury or evade SHIELD unless there was a pretty good reason for it, I’m just worried about what’s really happening here.”

 

Darcy bit her lip. Pepper was right. Even if Darcy herself couldn’t explain it as well as her, Darcy, too, had a bad feeling about all of this.

 

“And that’s just the beginning. It doesn’t take into our account our jammed communications or Tony and Thor coincidentally being called away just before the news about Steve broke,” Pepper continued. “Jarvis, any update on the jamming?”

“Unfortunately not, ma’am. I’m still trying to break it,” came the reply.

 

“You think they may be cracking down on Tony and Thor as well?” Darcy asked, shocked.

 

She hadn’t even thought about the possibility. It looked like her naiveté had gotten the better of her again, and she silently berated herself. It seemed that more often than not, she just wasn’t cunning enough to imagine all the stuff the bad guys could be up to. While she of course knew that there were lots of bad people in the world doing bad things, it felt like she never quite understood just how many bad guys there really were and how evil they could get. A part of that was probably due to the fact that she couldn’t understand why some people tried to hurt others in the first place. Sure, if someone was starving and fighting someone else over a loaf of bread, or if someone stole money to pay their sick loved one’s medical bills – she got where those people came from. But others? Just why would someone want to enslave an entire planet or country? Or human traffickers, and drug lords, and the like – just how could they not care at all about the people they were hurting? Did they never think about having the same thing done to them?

 

“Yeah,” Pepper said quietly. “I think it may not just be Steve who’s on that list. And given our connections to everyone who may also be targeted, it is safest for us and them if we stay here.”

 

Darcy just nodded and swallowed. She turned her attention back to the TV where Steve’s headshot was shown again, and a minute later, Jane exited the elevator. Pepper and Darcy quickly filled her in, and just like the other two, Jane was stunned when she saw the footage of Steve and heard of Pepper’s thoughts. She couldn’t get through to Thor or Tony either, and finally, all three of them ended up sitting on the couch together, staring at the TV. It seemed like there were no other news stories that day; on all news channels, Steve’s head shot and the escape footage kept playing in a continuous loop and were only interrupted by small bits of presenters expressing their shock and disbelief over America’s fallen hero.

 

Darcy set her jaw.

 

“There has to be _something_ we can do,” she said, determined. Then, something dawned on her.

 

“Jarvis, do you have any copies of the files Tony looked at last night when he accessed SHIELD’s database?”


	3. 110%

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve doesn't just wake up to Sam post-CATWS.

 

 

Steve felt as if he were slowly coming up from a very deep dive. Even though his eyes were closed, the world around him seemed to get gradually brighter, and bit-by-bit, sound was added. He could hear the beeping of machines close to him, and a pop song he didn’t know playing. His mouth felt parched.

 

When he finally half-opened his eyes, he found himself in a hospital room. The music he’d been hearing came from speakers to his left, and judging by the many bandages covering his body and how heavy his entire body felt, he must have been out for a while.

 

Steve swallowed, and his gaze fell on Sam sitting next to his bed, reading. Despite his battered state, Steve refused to let the opportunity go to waste.

 

“On your left,” he said. It took more strength than he’d thought.

 

A slow smile spread across Sam’s face.

 

“Glad you’re back, man,” he said, turning towards Steve. “How’re you feeling?”

 

“Like I fell out of a plane,” Steve replied dryly. Sam smirked.

 

“Yeah, well, you kinda did,” he replied. “I should probably call the nurse. Or before that, Darcy.”

 

At that, Steve opened his eyes completely, and he turned his head to look directly at Sam.

“She’s here? Is she ok?” he asked, licking his lips. His mouth was still much too dry.

 

“Yeah, she’s fine. Well, as fine as she can be in a situation like this. Hasn’t left your side since you got out of surgery. I forced her to go eat something earlier. She’s gonna be really pissed that that was the exact moment you chose to wake up,” Sam replied with a sheepish grin.

 

A small smile played around Steve’s mouth, and he slowly turned his head back to look straight ahead. As if on cue, the door opened, and Darcy whizzed into the room.

 

“Okay, I’ve eaten something. A whole sandwich. And I brought you coffee,” she said, directed at Sam. When she saw that Steve was awake, she stopped short. She set down the cup she was holding on a small table to her right, and carefully walked up to the foot of the bed. Her hands rested on the bed’s railing, and she gave Steve an almost shy smile that was very much unlike her.

 

Sam got up.

“Right, I think it’s my turn to go eat something then. Thanks for the coffee,” he said as he picked up the cup and closed the door behind him.

 

Darcy slowly moved up Steve’s bed and sat down at his side. He turned his hand up and Darcy laced her fingers through his. With her other hand, she tugged the blanket higher up his chest.

 

“How are you feeling?” she asked quietly.

“Ok. Tired. The pain isn’t too bad, I guess most of my injuries have already healed,” Steve replied. He gave her a crooked smile.

“Are _you_ ok? I’m so sorry I couldn’t call! It wasn’t safe, and Tony had promised me that he’d watch out for you, so I thought – or hoped – that it’d be better not to contact you,” he explained, searching her face.

Darcy gave him another small smile.

“I’m fine. I stayed at the tower, like you said. Tony and Thor were called away at some point – an oil refinery fire in Canada that later turned out to be started by HYDRA – and HYDRA also cut off all outgoing communications from the tower. But all in all, we were safe. It was good that you didn’t contact us, it definitely would’ve gotten you caught or into trouble,” Darcy replied. Then her face turned serious and she swallowed.

 

“I was scared, though. On the news they kept saying that you were a criminal and related to Fury’s death. Of course I didn’t believe them for a second, but they showed how you escaped the Triskelion and later how they arrested you and Natasha with all those agents around you and I was just so… _scared_ of what they would do to you,” Darcy said, her voice quiet. She avoided his gaze and instead kept her eyes firmly on their hands intertwined next to her lap. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I am _so_ happy that you’re alright.”

Guilt spread across Steve’s face. He gently tugged at Darcy’s hand.

“I’m really sorry that I put you through all of this. I wish I could promise you that it won’t happen again, but given my track record, I don’t think I can,” he said, his brows knitted. At that, Darcy’s flaming eyes met his.

 

“No, don’t apologize! It’s not your fault that HYDRA tried to kill millions of people to take over the world! You _stopped_ them! You always try everything you can to help. I know that’s never easy, so please, don’t feel guilty, not for a second,” she replied passionately. Her voice dropped as she emphasized every word of the sentence that followed, and she fixed his eyes with hers. “ _You are doing the right thing!_ Seriously. I’m 100% behind you. 110% even.” Her smile was a bit wider this time.  “Although that doesn’t mean that I’ll stop worrying. I guess I just like you too much for that.”

 

Steve’s contrite expression turned into a shy smile at her words. He gently pulled her closer to him.

 

“And I probably won’t be able to stop feeling guilty for putting you through situations like this. I guess I like _you_ too much for that,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. An immense feeling of relief rushed through him when Darcy finally broke into one of her signature wide smiles, and she bridged the last few inches between them to give him a gentle kiss. When they broke apart, he caressed the side of her face with his free hand.

 

“I think we have to call the nurse now. They’ve been waiting for you to wake up and wanted to check on you right away,” Darcy said, a soft expression on her face. Steve dropped his head on to his pillows and just nodded.

 

Darcy squeezed his hand, got up, pressed the button to call the nurse, and moved to sit down in the chair next to Steve’s bed. He fixed her with a pensive look.

 

“What?” Darcy smiled at him.

“Nothing, it’s just… The last time I woke up in a situation like this, I was alone, surrounded by people I didn’t know, and thrown into a century I didn’t know. But today, I got to wake up to you and Sam,” he said, the demure smile she’d gotten to know so well playing on his lips.

 

Darcy’s reply was cut short by the nurse bustling in, so she contented herself with an understanding smile. As she watched the nurse, and a few moments later, a doctor, checking on Steve, her thoughts on the topic of people caring about Steve moved to a particular piece of information that Sam had shared with her when they’d been waiting for Steve to wake up. It seemed that Steve’s old friend Bucky was still alive, and that he had even been pitted against Steve. Now, Bucky had vanished, though. Darcy knew that Steve would probably want to try and track him down. Combined with the breakdown of SHIELD, the next few months would probably be more than eventful. Darcy sat up a little in her chair and caught Steve’s eye.

 

It didn’t matter what’d happen next. If the last few days had taught her anything, it was that she’d be there.

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Caramel and Vanilla

Darcy drummed her fingers on the handrail of the elevator and watched the floor numbers count down. It was only a short ride from Stark Tower's common floor to the apartment she and Steve were sharing in the very same building. Ever since SHIELD had fallen apart and all of the organization's information had been dumped online, Stark Tower had become the sanctuary for all Avengers and their special someones. These days, none of them could leave the building without a huge throng of reporters and paparazzi following them and without becoming a walking target for any disgruntled foes from the past. Fortunately, thanks to Tony and Pepper's generosity, none of them had to worry about security and reporters anymore when they received their very own apartments in the tower. Jane and Thor were sharing one, as were Clint and Natasha (the latter with two different bedrooms that Darcy didn't believe for a second they actually both used), and eventually, Darcy and Steve. At first, Darcy had been a reluctant guest at Stark Tower and stayed in the guest room Tony had put her up in during fall of SHIELD. Not only did she feel bad for having to make use of Tony's offer, but she also wanted to cling on to the last bits of independence she had left. It seemed that she was falling more in love with Steve everyday, and it scared her a little. No matter how much time she spent with Steve - her brain apparently couldn't really forget the surreality of dating Captain America.

 

However, as usual, time happened, and after accompanying Steve on countless trips throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the US to trace Bucky's footsteps, it started to feel weird NOT to share a place with Steve when they were back at the tower. And so after about seven months, Darcy finally relented and officially moved in with Steve. At that point, moving her stuff from her guest room to Steve's apartment was a single trip anyway, as most of her things had already found her way to Steve's over time.

 

Today they had all had dinner together - Steve, Darcy, Tony, Pepper, Natasha, Clint, Jane, Thor, Bruce, and Betty. Bruce and Betty were the only ones not to share an apartment. While Bruce had finally agreed to pick up where he and Betty had left off, he was still extremely careful about all of his interactions with her. Fortunately for him, Darcy mused, Betty seemed to have the patience of an angel next to her smarts and dry humor.

 

Jane had been the first one to excuse herself, saying she was tired and wanted to go to bed. While Darcy didn't doubt her sleepiness, she wouldn't be surprised if Thor ended up finding Jane passed out over some data in her lab after "just wanting to check one more thing". Pepper had also excused herself shortly after to finish off some work, and Darcy took that as her cue to also set off. She'd had a headache all day that had gotten worse over dinner, so she just wanted to take some Tylenol and sleep.

The soft 'ding' of the elevator announced her floor, and Darcy stepped right out into the round lounge of her and Steve's apartment. The lounge formed the center piece of all their rooms, which spread off via doors and walkways into several different directions.

"Jarvis, lights please," Darcy commanded, grimacing to ward off another wave of pain hammering through her head. When the lights turned on, however, her expression immediately shifted to shock, and she barely kept herself from screaming.

 

Across the room, on one of the round sofa pieces in the middle of the circular room, sat the Winter Soldier, or Bucky, as Darcy corrected herself mentally, staring straight at her. He had positioned himself so that the elevator doors were directly in front of him, and his ice-blue eyes were piercing into hers.

Darcy swallowed as she took him in, her thoughts racing to figure out what to do. If he wanted to kill her, she probably wouldn't even have made it off the elevator. He didn't look like he intended to threaten or harm her, either. While his body seemed tense, she couldn't make out a weapon anywhere near him, and he was dressed in a black leather jacket and dark jeans instead of a combat suit. He was sitting upright, hands on his knees, and his long hair falling unruly across his forehead. It was still the same length as the time he'd been fighting Steve on the helicarrier (needless to say, Darcy had watched every piece of footage she could find about the fall of SHIELD that involved Steve).

 

Darcy cleared her throat and tried to get rid off the tension that ensnared her body. She wasn't quite sure if her voice would hold up. Why did her tongue feel so heavy all of a sudden?

"Uh, hi, Bucky!" She hoped her smile didn't seem too forced, and that her tone sounded as chipper as she wanted. "What brings you here?"

It took a few seconds before Bucky replied in a raspy voice.

"He said he knows me."

Darcy nodded slowly. Her head felt raw from the stabbing pain blistering behind her eyes. She really, _really_ needed a painkiller at this point.

"He does. We've been looking for you. We want to help you remember," she said carefully and lightly, as if they were just chatting about the weather.

"Steve's still upstairs. I'll tell him you're here," she continued as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. Bucky's eyes followed her every movement, and Darcy nervously tapped a message to Steve.

 

_Bucky's here. Says he's looking for you._

_Doesn't seem dangerous, so leave the others upstairs for now._

Darcy looked back up to Bucky.

"He should come down any minute now. Want something to drink? I need to grab some water," she said, grinning widely despite the jittering of her nerves and the pain wreaking havoc in her head.

Bucky didn't reply and just stared at her, almost as if her question had caught him off guard.

"I'll just get you something, too," Darcy finally said after several seconds of silence and walked over to the kitchen where she grabbed a few bottles of water and some juice from the fridge. After rummaging in the drawers for some Tylenol and pooping two tablets into her mouth with a bit of water, her phone buzzed.

 

_Are you ok? On my way down. Told the others, they're on alert._

_Yes, all good, don't worry._

Darcy squeezed her phone back into her pocket, picked up a few glasses and arranged them with the bottles on a small tray. Pausing for a moment, she puckered her lips and then added a bag of chocolate chip cookies as well.

 

Bucky's face remained unmoved when Darcy put the tray down on the small coffee table in front of him.

"Let me know if you want a coffee or tea or something. We have an awesome espresso machine that whips up pretty much any hot drinks in a matter of seconds. Oh, and iced coffee, too," she said as she lowered herself on to the couch opposite him. It meant that she couldn't see the elevator, but she could keep a close eye on Bucky. Even if he seemed peaceful, Darcy wasn't stupid. Too bad her taser was in the drawer of her nightstand right now. Maybe she should get another one to keep in the kitchen.

 

Just as she was racking her searing brain for something else to say, the elevator announced Steve. Bucky's eyes immediately shot up to the doors as they opened, and Darcy turned around. Steve's face was caught between incredulity, awe, and relief. Then his eyes took on a worried expression and darted to Darcy, who signaled him that she was fine and got up.

"I think I'll go to bed now. You two have fun," she said, squeezing Steve's hand in passing, who returned the gesture and looked at her questioningly. "Everything's fine. Let me know if you need... anything," she replied to the silent question. With a half-smile, she made her way over to their bedroom and was about to close the door behind her when her eyes fell upon Steve's shield next to his side of the bed. She picked it up and set it down as quietly as possible outside the bedroom door, in plain sight of Steve. If Bucky heard or saw her, he didn't show it.

 

Satisfied, Darcy finally closed the door behind her.

 

She didn't sleep too well that night, which certainly wasn't surprising considering the situation outside her bedroom and the pain tormenting her brain. She kept drifting in and out of consciousness, and tried to listen to the muffled voices in the lounge. It seemed that the two didn't get into an argument at least - their voices were level and only rose for emphasis. At some point during the night, Darcy wondered if she had slept at all, but she must have had as the next thing she noticed was the bed dipping on Steve's side. She glanced on to the alarm clock on her bedside table - 4:06 am - and realized with relief that her headache was finally gone. Steve's arm snaked around her waist from behind her back and pulled her flush against him as he buried his face in her hair. Darcy laced her fingers through his and shuddered lightly at the feel of his breath grazing the back of her neck.

"How'd it go?" she whispered quietly, pulling his arm closer around her.

"Okay. He mostly asked questions and didn't answer any. I told the others to stand down at some point. Bucky seems to want to be here and talk to me without killing anyone, which is good."

He didn't have to add "after months of searching at our end" for Darcy to know what he meant.

"Yay!" Darcy exclaimed sleepily. "Is he still here?"

"Yeah, I convinced him to stay over. Wanted to put him up in the guest room, but he didn't want to, so I gave him a pillow and blanket so he could sleep on the sofa."

Darcy squeezed Steve's hand. "Then let's hope that this is the beginning of getting him back."

 

The next morning, Darcy woke to the sun streaming through the curtains. Blinking, she opened her eyes. As ever so often, they had moved during the night from Steve spooning her to her holding him. While Steve generally enjoyed cradling her like a soft toy, Darcy had found out very soon that every now and then, Steve needed to be treated like a soft toy, too. Sometimes, that meant Darcy spooning him, but even more so, Steve liked to sleep in her arms, face buried in the crook of her neck or in her chest, and arms wrapped tightly around her as if he was holding on for dear life. Usually, they shifted into this position when Steve came back from trying missions or when he had difficult days dealing with his past, and Darcy had to admit that she enjoyed holding him for a change. Steve was strong, in every sense of the word, but of course had his weak and vulnerable moments, too. Darcy was incredibly happy and just a little bit proud that he trusted her enough to turn to her for comfort in those times, but more than anything, she felt fiercely protective of Steve in those moments and would have fought anyone tooth and nail if they dared to touch him. This time was no different. For a moment, Darcy closed her eyes again and felt the familiar surge of love and affection for her boyfriend wash over her as she relished in the feeling of the perfectly temperatured, cozy bed, Steve's shallow breaths against her and the sunshine falling on to them. She really hoped that Bucky was still outside. The last few months had been incredibly exhausting as they'd searched high and low for Bucky and his past, and now she just wished that he'd stay with them long enough for Steve to help him remember.

 

Stretching to carefully to peek on to the clock on the nightstand, Darcy found out that it was just past 9 am. She settled back into the pillow and began to massage Steve's scalp lovingly. It hadn't taken long for her to find that it helped him relax, and that it could even put him to sleep when he was restless. This time worked like every time. Darcy felt Steve's grasp relax enough for her to wriggle out of it. Doing her best not to wake him, Darcy got up, put on her glasses, threw on a bathrobe, tied up her hair with an elastic band and quietly opened the door to the lounge. She wasn't surprised when Bucky sat up immediately when she opened the door, fixing her with his icy stare. Darcy threw another glance back at Steve who was still slumbering peacefully, before closing the bedroom door as softly as possible.

 

"Morning! Steve's still asleep. I'm gonna make breakfast. Wanna join me?" Darcy asked in a low voice. Bucky just stared at her, again. Somehow, in the morning light and with her headache gone, he didn't seem half as threatening as the night before. Besides, Darcy reasoned, there wasn't really a reason for him to kill her or Steve. Unless he was working freelance for some bad guy, but Darcy didn't want to think about that possibility.

"Well, feel free to come into the kitchen whenever you like," Darcy added as she started walking. The moment she got to the kitchen, she flipped on the coffee machine and opened the fridge to get out the ingredients to make waffles. When she closed the door again, she nearly jumped out of her skin as she found herself face-to-face with Bucky.

"Ok, you have GOT to STOP scaring me half to death. Seriously!" she blurted as loudly as she dared without waking Steve.

Bucky seemed genuinely taken aback.

"I'm - sorry," he replied, slowly, almost questioningly.

"Apology accepted. Now go sit down. Do you want a coffee?" Darcy asked as she motioned to the kitchen island and set down the items she retrieved from the fridge. Bucky nodded as he slipped into his assigned seat.

"Alright, two coffees coming up," Darcy said. She filled up two cups from the machine and added a little caramel sauce and vanilla powder to hers.

"You want some too?" she asked, looking at Bucky, who in turn stared at her coffee with burning eyes.

"His mom used to make coffee like that. Even when they had to eat potatoes for weeks in a row, she'd find money for caramel and vanilla," he said, his voice sounding distant.

Darcy hoped her excitement at Bucky's recognition wasn't too obvious. She couldn't imagine what the man must have been through, and from what Steve had told her about him, she really hoped that the two of them would be able to find their way back to their old selves.

"Yeah, Steve showed me. It's the best. I haven't drunk my coffee any other way since," she replied, going for what she hoped was a cheery, yet not-too-excited tone of her voice. She added vanilla and caramel to Bucky's cup as well, set it in front of him, took a big sip of her own coffee and then pulled out the rest of the ingredients she needed to make waffles, along with a big bowl.

Bucky wrapped his hands around the cup and gazed at it with an undecided look on his face.

"So, how long have you been back in New York?" Darcy asked as she measured the milk and flour.

It took a while before Bucky answered.

"Four days," he said, still looking at the cup in his hands. He hadn't taken a single sip yet.

"Alright, and what were you up to before that - if I may ask?" Darcy continued as she began to mix and beat the batter.

"I was in Russia." Bucky's reply came faster this time, but his eyes hadn't moved.

"Really? We were there, too. Several times, actually. The last one was four weeks ago," Darcy replied, not looking at him.

"I know. I saw you in Siberia," Bucky responded, unmoving. "You ran Operations and he did the field work."

Darcy wondered if Bucky kept referring to Steve as "he" because he still didn't know whether to see Steve as friend or foe.

"Operations? Nah, I was just doing a bit of research and the navigation," she said, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice. She was nowhere close to being some kind of agent running Operations.

"Surveillance, composition of intelligence, navigation - _Operations,_ " Bucky just replied matter-of-factly. Darcy raised her eyebrows, not quite agreeing with his assessment, but tabling that discussion for later.

"Yeah, we've been around Russia a lot in the last few months. Tried to find you and tried to find out what they did to you," she continued calmly, setting down her utensils and looking straight at Bucky, who still seemed mesmerized by the black liquid before him.

"What did they do?" Darcy asked straight up in a low voice, studying his face warily.

"They found me," Bucky said after a while. His voice was almost too quiet for Darcy to hear him. "They said that they'd heal me. That they'd make me even better than before."

Darcy swallowed. "And did they?"

Bucky's face was completely motionless.

"No. There was pain. So much pain. And then they took me out of my body, made me forget." He paused. "There was so much blood. And they always wanted more. So many people dead and they still wanted more."

Darcy wasn't sure what to say, so she decided to go for another question.

 

"Do you remember the entire time since then or did they... Take you out again after the first time?"

 

"They took me out again," Bucky replied, his voice barely making a sound. "All the time. After every mission. But some bits stayed, I just didn't tell them. I hoped that I would be able to keep at least some bits of - of _me._ "

 

Darcy looked down at the bowl in front of her and half-heartedly stirred its contents. She didn't want Bucky to see the shock and sadness on her face. Everything Steve had told her about Bucky made him seem like a good, loyal friend with a caring heart hidden under some cockiness. Even when Bucky signed up for the war, he didn't do it for the fighting but for doing the right thing, even if he would never have admitted so publicly.

 

She decided to go for something she'd seen her mother do countless times when she'd been talking to one of her PTSD patients she'd been working with at the psych ward at their local hospital.

"They won't do it again. We won't let them. You're safe now," she said calmly but with a certain amount of determination in her voice. "We'll protect you." Darcy put her hand on to Bucky's lower arm and fixed him with her gaze. His breathing quickened and he seemed unsure what to do. He stared at her hand as if it were burning through the leather of his jacket into his skin.

Darcy gave his arm a little pat, and Bucky's gaze shot up to hers.

"I promise," she said, looking straight into his eyes. They were still weary, but Darcy could have sworn that there was something else, something lighter, as well. She withstood the urge to ask Bucky more about his past. They needed baby steps, not giant leaps. Helping Bucky work through his past would take lots of time.

"Well then. You should drink your coffee. It's no good when it's cold, and I'm sure you'll need it after the night you had," she continued with a bright smile as she returned her attention to the waffle dough. She added the last ingredients and turned on the waffle iron.

 

"Let's see, what shall we have with the waffles?" Darcy poked her head into the refrigerator, got a few items out and put them in front of Bucky. "We've got berries, sprinkles, chocolate and caramel sauce, whipped cream and powdered sugar. Any preferences?"

Bucky frowned ever so slightly and inspected the selection in front of him, when all of a sudden, his head whipped around and towards the kitchen door. One second later, Steve walked in. He was still wearing his blue-checked flannel pajama pants and a white t-shirt, and his hair stuck up in every direction. Judging by the sleepiness still evident on his face he'd only just woken up a minute earlier.

"Morning," he greeted the two of them, before measuring Bucky with a quick glance, giving Darcy a quick peck on the mouth, and scratching the back of his head. His eyes lit up when they found the items on the kitchen island.

"Waffles?" he asked with a smile.

Darcy nodded. "Yep! What do you want on yours? I think I'll have berries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream."

"Sounds good. Can I have sprinkles, too?" Steve replied, eyes still on the toppings.

Darcy couldn't help rubbing his back at such a typical Steve-style-request.

"Sure! What about you, Bucky?" she asked, smiling at him.

Bucky had been watching every single one of Steve's moves. Now he returned his attention to the kitchen island.

"Caramel sauce," he replied.

"Alright, coming right up," Darcy said as she poured the dough for the first two waffles on the iron.

 

A little later, the three of them were sitting around the kitchen island digging away at their waffles. Bucky was still rather quiet, but seemed increasingly at ease around them, and when Tony called them over the intercom demanding to know how on Earth Bucky had been able to override Stark Tower's security system the night before, Bucky's cocky smile made Darcy and Steve lock eyes. Maybe this really was the first step to get him back.

 


	5. Wheels Turning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Mediavengers on tumblr (http://mediavengers.tumblr.com).  
> The media are after Darcy, and they're mean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This little story arc was inspired by the amazing Mediavengers tumblr (http://mediavengers.tumblr.com). 
> 
> You should check it out - it's absolutely awesome.

“ _... they were everywhere! Outside our house, around town, the neighborhood, and even at the town hall and the school! I’m so glad Bobby is Sheriff, he kicked them straight out of our street at least. Some of them are still trying to question people around here, but fortunately, the community’s so tight-knit no-one will say anything. Except for the Wilsons – Shanna told me Cayden spoke to a guy from the_ New York Post _, and one from that English one – I think it was_ The Sun _? Cayden may even have given them her yearbooks – you know she’s always liked attention - but then I don’t think they’re gonna find anything in there that they don’t already know at this point.”_

 

Darcy switched the phone from one ear to the other and swiveled in the bar stool at the kitchen island to face the wall of windows behind her. Far below, she could see the busy NYC traffic weaving through the streets, its sound drowned out by Stark Tower’s soundproof insulation. Hopping of the stool, she crossed the room to lean her forehead against the cool glass. Outside it had started to get dark.

 

“I’m so, so, sorry that they’re bothering you like this,” she sighed, her voice apologetic. “And everyone else at home, really. I have absolutely no idea why they’re so fixated on me. _Please_ let me know if it gets worse, I’ll see if there is anything that we can do.”

 

“ _Oh honey, don’t worry about us. Yes, it’s a bit annoying, of course, but at least something’s happening around here. It’s gotten a bit boring since Christmas. January is always the worst of months. I’m actually quite impressed at their stamina – it’s around 12 degrees here at the moment and we’re getting about a foot of snow every day, but they’re still trekking about town,”_ her mother replied cheerfully. Then her voice got serious. “ _What’s much more important, though, is that YOU don’t let them get to you. They’re gonna leave us alone eventually when they don’t find anything around here, but from what I’ve been reading and seeing, it doesn’t look like they’re gonna ease up on you anytime soon. And it ain’t no secret that what they’ve been writing isn’t nice most of the time. So I want you to always remember that what they’re saying is all made-up, alright? They_ think _they know everything because they’ve read a few files that some secret organization put together, but really they don’t know a thing about the wonderful person you are. That’s why they’re snooping around everywhere. Just remember that. Ok, honey?”_

Darcy watched her strained smile in the glass in front of her.

“Yeah, sure, Mom,” she replied, trying to sound positive even though the feeling inside her stomach was quite the opposite. Suddenly, she caught a movement in the corner of her eye. Steve was apparently back and making his way through the lounge into the kitchen.

Darcy cleared her throat.

“Ah, I have to go, Mom. Could you please tell Dad I said hello?” she said, turning towards Steve, who had just reached the kitchen door.

 _“Sure, will do. And tell Steve hello from me! Speak to you soon, honey,”_ came her mother’s reply. Darcy thanked her, hung up the phone and greeted Steve with a smile. The fact that she actually was happy to see him helped, but the weight of the conversation with her mother still dampened her usual beam somewhat.

Steve gave her a peck on the lips. He looked worried and a crease formed on his forehead.

“Was that you mom? Everything alright?” he asked, his eyes searching her face.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Mom says hello,” Darcy lied, not quite meeting his eyes as she gently tapped his chest brushing past him. “What shall we do for dinner? We still have some of the stew left. Is Bucky coming as well?”

The crease on Steve’s forehead was still there, and he studied Darcy for a moment. She could tell that he didn’t believe her. Fortunately, he seemed to let the issue slide, however.

“Yeah, Bucky should be here in a few minutes. Stew sounds good,” he finally replied as he began to set the kitchen table. Darcy sighed inwardly and turned to the fridge.

 

 

“You know you’re going to have to tell him eventually, right?” Jane asked as she was sifting through a stack of papers on her desk a few weeks later.

“Maybe. I mean, I don’t want to trouble him. He’s got so much on his mind already, with Bucky, avenging, re-designing SHIELD, and so on – and it’s not like all of this is such a big deal, anyway,” Darcy replied as she filed a different stack of papers. Jane raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

“It may not be as big of a deal as rescuing a brain-washed old friend, saving the world, or building an organization, yes, but it’s something that affects you and your life. You hardly ever leave the Tower anymore, and when you do, it’s by quinjet, helicopter or a car with tinted windows,” she insisted. Then her face got soft.

“Look, I know you don’t want people, and especially Steve, to worry about you, but even I can see that this whole thing affects you without you even telling me about it. You’re much quieter than you used to be, and I’m sure Steve has noticed, too. He’s just too nice to nag you about it.” Darcy set down the folder she was holding and sighed.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” she said glumly. “I’m just worried that I’m overreacting. I’m not the only one who’s experiencing something like this, after all.”

Jane took her by the shoulders and turned her around to face her.

“No, you’re not, but that doesn’t justify that horrible coverage in any way, and it definitely doesn’t make the effect this whole situation has on you any less harmful.” She smiled encouragingly at Darcy. “You should tell him. If only to avoid him feeling hurt when he finds out that you’ve been wrestling with something like this and he didn’t even know.”

Darcy bit her lip.

“I should.”

 

When Darcy returned to her apartment that night she was greeted by the smell of spaghetti alle vongole and found Steve cooking in the kitchen.

“Aw, thanks for starting dinner,” she smiled as she hugged him from behind and pressed a kiss to his shoulder blade.

Steve caught one of her hands in his and continued stirring with the other.

“No need to thank me, it was my turn tonight,” he replied lightly as he played with her fingers.

“Alright, let me set the table then,” Darcy offered, slowly disentangling herself, but not before pecking another kiss to Steve’s back.

“The table is already set in the dining room,” Steve said, giving her hand a final squeeze. Darcy raised an eyebrow and inspected the dining room table through the big hatch in the kitchen wall. It was indeed set, complete with cloth napkins, wine glasses, burning candles, and soft music playing. “And dinner is just finished,” Steve continued as he poured the spaghetti into a bowl.

“Wow, nice! To what do we owe such a pretty dinner on a weekday?” Darcy grinned.

“Nothing special, I just thought that we haven’t really had much time to ourselves recently with everything that’s going on and Bucky spending so much time with us,” Steve said with a smile. Darcy opened her mouth to reply, but Steve quickly continued. “I know that you said that you don’t mind Bucky being here so often, and it has been extremely helpful for his recovery, but that doesn’t change the fact that the two of us should have some time to ourselves every now and then.”

Darcy couldn’t help but grin widely at Steve. It was true that they’d had a lot less personal time recently. “Well, I can’t argue with that,” she said, her eyes glinting. She moved back to him and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. “There’s been a shortage of quite a few things recently.”

Steve nuzzled his way up to her forehead. “Hm-hm, that’s why we’ve got the entire evening to ourselves. Bucky said he’s going to have dinner at his place tonight.”

For about six weeks after the night Darcy had found Bucky sitting in their lounge Bucky had stayed in their guest room, and had afterwards moved to his own apartment in Stark Tower. However, even after his move, Bucky was spending a large amount of time at Darcy and Steve’s place, especially for shared meals. While Darcy didn’t mind his presence and was happy that Bucky’s recovery was going so well, she completely agreed with Steve that their time to do “couple-y things” could be increased.

She rested her hands on Steve’s abdomen.

“Shall we start with dinner then?” she asked.

 

Dinner was delicious. Steve was a great cook, and spaghetti alle vongole was one of his specialties. He’d once told Darcy that he’d picked up the recipe from an Italian soldier during his time at the battlefront in WWII. It really was nice having an entire evening to themselves for a change, Darcy decided. They talked about this and that – their respective days, Bruce and Tony’s newest lab incidents, their happiness about the continued, if slow, building of Bruce and Betty’s relationship, to Jane’s prospect of getting a Nobel Prize for her work on the Einstein-Rosen-Bridge. Steve had even made chocolate mousse for dessert, and Darcy was savoring each spoon.

“Darce?” Steve asked all of a sudden. Darcy set down her spoon.

“Hm-hm?” she replied, her mouth still full of mousse. Steve had already finished his dessert, and reached over to cover her hand with his.

“I know I’ve asked this before, but is everything alright? You’ve been different lately. Quieter. You’ve hardly gone out, with the girls or with me. And I’m just wondering if that’s just because of all the stuff that’s been going on recently, or if there’s anything else that’s bothering you,” he said earnestly. His blue eyes were full of sincere concern, and Darcy noticed that the worried crease on his forehead was back.

She dropped her eyes and wet her lips. So he had noticed.

Steve laced his fingers through hers and continued with a calm and earnest voice.

“I just want you to know that no matter how many situations we’re dealing with, if there is something that’s worrying you, big or small, I really want to know. I love you, Darcy. You always come first.”

At that, Darcy’s eyes shot back up to Steve’s. It was the first time he’d ever said that he loved her. Even though they’d been going out for over a year now, neither of them had said the l-word yet.

All of a sudden, all of her reasons for not telling Steve the causes of her recent troubles felt unfounded and stupid. She had just made him worry even more, and she’d probably hurt him as well by not confiding in him.

Darcy pulled Steve towards her and gave him a heartfelt, loving kiss. She cupped his face with her free hand and looked him straight in the eyes.

“I love you, too,” she said earnestly. “So much.” Steve’s eyes lit up at that and he squeezed her hand a little tighter. “I’m really sorry for making you worry,” Darcy continued. “There is something that’s been upsetting me, yes. I haven’t told you because I didn’t want to add another worry to your already extensive list, especially since there isn’t really anything you – or anyone, for that matter – can do. And compared to all the rest of the things we’re dealing with, it’s just silly, really,” she explained a bit sheepishly and sighed. Steve just watched her attentively.

“It’s the media. They’ve been… _crazy_. For some reason, they’re completely fixated on me. After you and Natasha released all that information last year, their big focus was of course on you, her, the Avengers, Fury, and anyone else directly involved with SHIELD, or HYDRA. And for the big news outlets, it still is. But for some reason, most other media, especially the gossip magazines, have started to zone in on me. You know that SHIELD had an extensive file on me because of my involvement with Jane, Thor, and you, so the magazines took that and ran with it. But at some point, that wasn’t enough anymore, I guess. They’ve been stalking me. They’ve unearthed information I didn’t even know existed anymore, they’ve been all over my hometown interviewing people and camping in front of my parents’ house. Any time I leave the tower they’re there, taking pictures and plastering them everywhere. And in about 95% of the cases, they don’t have a single nice thing to say about me.”

While she was talking, the crease on Steve’s forehead had deepened, and Darcy could practically hear the wheels turning in his head as he went in problem-solving mode.

“At first I thought, give them what they want, then they’ll stop. So I answered their questions when I was out, I smiled at their cameras, and so on, but that didn’t help one bit. They just kept going and they just got meaner every time.”

“’Mean’ as in how?” Steve asked calmly, his eyes gazing intently at her.

“Criticizing my appearance, mostly – whether it’s my hair, make-up, figure, or what I’m wearing – asking why we’re dating, and what our relationship is like,” Darcy replied, trying not to let the hurt about those articles show too much. She left out the part where in every single article, the media seemed to ask why on earth Captain America could date someone as boring and unaccomplished as herself. Even if she’d come to terms with her self-esteem on the matter recently and didn’t doubt Steve’s love and commitment to her for a second, she wasn’t quite ready to discuss the matter with him directly yet. “And if they don’t have facts that they can write about, they just make stuff up,” she added.

“Could I see some examples?” Steve asked thoughtfully. “Just so I get a better idea of what we’re talking about?”

“Sure,” Darcy replied. He would see them eventually. The only reason why he hadn’t seen them so far was because he hardly ever read any magazines, or gossip pages online.

“Jarvis, could you please show us the press coverage on Darcy in the last week?” Steve requested from the AI.

“Certainly, Captain,” came the prompt, disembodied reply, and the wall opposite them filled with countless pictures, articles and social media posts.

Steve raised his eyebrows and stood up.

“That’s just last week’s?” he asked, taken aback. “How many items are those?”

“6,538, Captain. Shall I narrow it down further?” Jarvis supplied helpfully.

“Yes, please. Just the results from the last 24 hours,” Steve commanded as he approached the wall.

The selection in front of them changed, and it was now much easier to make out the individual headlines, texts, pictures, social media posts, and muted videos, but the wall was still packed.

Darcy scanned the English ones. Nothing new, it seemed.

 

THE TOWN WHERE CAPTAIN AMERICA’S GIRLFRIEND GREW UP

DARCY LEWIS: DESPERATELY TRYING TO LOSE HER HOLIDAY POUNDS FOR CAPTAIN AMERICA

WHAT WAS SHE THINKING? DARCY LEWIS’ PROM PICTURES

COURAGEOUS! DARCY LEWIS AT THE MOVIES WITH GLASSES, NO MAKE-UP

 

 

“You went to the movies this week?” Steve asked absent-mindedly.

“No, that was a few months ago. They’re only using the picture now,” Darcy replied, topping up her wine glass. No matter how often she read those headlines, they upset her every time. But the worst parts were the pictures, really - close-ups of any imperfection, circles around her cellulite in a bikini photo they’d gotten from god-knows-where, arrows picking apart her outfits. At college she’d once read that reporters would Photoshop pictures of politicians and celebrities they wanted to push in a good way, and that they would at the same time make unflattering pictures of people who were not amongst their favorites look even worse. At this point, Darcy could easily vouch for the truth of at least the latter part.

 

 

SUMMER’S COMING! CELEBS THAT NEED TO TONE THEIR BEACH BODY – KIM KARDASHIAN, DARCY LEWIS, KELLY CLARKSON & RIHANNA

JUST AN ORDINARY GIRL: HOW DARCY LEWIS DEFEATED COUNTLESS BEAUTIES AND SNAGGED CAPTAIN AMERICA’S HEART

#NOFILTER, #NOSTYLE? DARCY LEWIS DOESN’T CARE ABOUT GLAM OR TRENDS AS SHE PASSES THROUGH JFK

PROFILED: HOW DARCY LEWIS BECAME THE ASSISTANT OF ONE OF THE SMARTEST MINDS OF OUR TIME - WITH JUST A B.A. AND NO WORK EXPERIENCE

WATCH: DARCY LEWIS MIDDLE-SCHOOL CHEERLEADING TRYOUT (HINT: SHE DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT)

 

Darcy sighed. It seemed that the yearbooks weren’t the only things Cayden gave to the press. Then her eyes ghosted over the social media posts that she’d gotten to read on a daily basis.

 

_@gangsta_girl3958: #darcylewis is fukin ugly_

_@captain_lover_xxo: ima kill #darcylewis so some real women can take care of #captainamerica_

_@beachlolita4eva: Why does #captainamerica even care about #darcylewis? She's a boring bitch!_

_@strong_as_hercules: jst read #darcylewis #feminazi thesis. some1 shud rape some sense in2 that slut._

 

 

“You get the idea,” she said to Steve, trying to keep her voice void of emotion.

Steve nodded curtly, the disbelief of what he was seeing still evident on his face.

“Thank you, Jarvis,” he finally said. The articles, pictures and videos disappeared, and Steve moved to sit back down next to Darcy.

“I’ve been trying to ignore all of these articles, but they are kind of hurtful, especially when they add up,” Darcy admitted.

“And it’s all just because you’re my girl,” Steve stated flatly. Darcy had to smile at the anachronism that had snuck in and reached for his hand.

“Yeah,” she replied, searching his eyes. “Which just shows how stupid they are.”

Steve set his jaw and stared straight ahead at the dark window opposite their table with a determined look on his face that Darcy only knew too well. She stroked the side of his face.

“No need to go into mission-mode,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood. “As I said, there isn’t anything we can do. It’s just how the media are. I asked Pepper at the very beginning, and she said that they can sometimes stop particularly bad articles, by withdrawing advertising budget or reminding journalists of a skeleton in their closet. But since the secret information dump last year, the media have become a lot more sensitive in that regard and don’t react to those tactics too well anymore,” Darcy explained. “But it’ll be okay. They’re going to lose interest at some point – I hope - and until then, I just don’t read magazines or newspapers anymore. Sometimes I still see articles and posts on social media or so, but I can deal with that. And telling you has really made this whole thing a lot easier.”

“Except the fact that you can’t leave the Tower, that the media even stalk your parents, and that you’re getting actual threats to your life and – your safety,” Steve replied sharply as he turned his head to look at her. He clearly wasn’t content with the thought of not being able to do anything.

Darcy smiled sadly. “Yeah, welcome to the era of the Internet,” she said before fixing him with an intent gaze. “Sadly, this is what happens everyday. That’s why it’s kind of petty compared to what we – and especially you – deal with otherwise, like, saving the world. But, again, I’m really glad you know about this now, and I also don’t want it to ruin this beautiful evening.”

She got up, moved over to Steve’s chair and lowered herself on to his lap. She buried her fingers in his hair and kissed him softly on the lips. Steve closed his eyes and snaked his arms around her waist.

“I don’t want it to ruin the evening, either. It’s just difficult to accept that there is nothing I can do to help,” he replied unhappily.

“Well, then it is a good thing that this isn’t the only thing I need help with,” Darcy replied mischievously as she slowly ran her hands up and down Steve’s chest. He exhaled heavily and pressed his forehead against her collarbone before looking back up to her.

“I’m sorry they’re doing this because of me,” he said. “And I know it’s difficult, but please don’t believe a word of what they’re saying. You’re perfect the way you are, and I love for it.”

Darcy gave him a lingering kiss. “I know, thank you. You show me every day, and I don’t doubt you for a second,” she replied affectionately. Then she pressed another kiss to his lips and smirked. “How about another demonstration somewhere more comfortable?”

 

The next morning, Darcy found herself tightly wrapped in Steve’s arms, her head on his chest. When she carefully raised her head she noticed that Steve was awake already.

“Morning,” he greeted her softly.

“Morning,” Darcy replied with a sleepy smile and settled back on to his chest with a contented sigh. Maybe she could catch just a few more minutes of dozing before they had to get up. Steve ran one of his hands through her hair.

“Darce? Do you mind if I told some people about the whole media issue? Not many, of course, but just to get a few opinions and pointers,” Steve asked quietly.

“No, of course not, go ahead,” Darcy murmured, already drifting back to sleep.

This time, she swore she heard the wheels turning in Steve’s head.

 

 

 

A few days later, Darcy was just working on some records she helped compile as part of Bucky’s recovery when Jarvis announced that Natasha was on her way down to Darcy and Steve’s apartment.

“Shall I grant her access?” Jarvis asked.

“Ah, yeah, sure,” Darcy replied absent-mindedly. “Steve’s not here, though.”

“I already informed her of that. She wants to see you,” Jarvis stated matter-of-factly.

“Huh?” Darcy looked up in surprise from the computer she was working on. While she had gotten to know Natasha a lot better since they were all living at the tower and especially since Steve and Natasha were spending more time together since the fall of SHIELD, she couldn’t say that she and Natasha were particularly close.

“Did she say what she wants?” Darcy asked the AI as she made her way across the study and into the lounge.

“No, she did not,” Jarvis replied.

A few seconds after Darcy had entered the lounge, the elevator doors opened, and Natasha strolled in with her usual, self-confident manner.

“Hey,” she greeted Darcy, her face as impenetrable as always.

“Hey,” Darcy replied, uncertain of what to say. “Steve’s not here if you’re looking for him…”

“I know, I’m looking for you,” Natasha shot back as she lowered herself on to one of the couches near them.

“Oh, okay,” Darcy replied. She crossed, then uncrossed her arms and sat down on one of the couches opposite Natasha. “Um, do you want to drink anything?”

“No thanks,” Natasha said and fixed Darcy with her emerald eyes. “Steve told me about the media not leaving you alone,” she stated. “That’s some pretty mean stuff. Unfortunately, I can’t do anything against them. What I can do, however, is teach you how to defend yourself. Nothing big, of course, but enough to help you get out of potentially sticky situations.”

Darcy blinked. She wasn’t sure what she had Natasha expected to say, but it certainly wasn’t this.

“Oh, ah, thanks,” Darcy said hesitantly. “I’m not sure if I need to know that kind of stuff, though. I can’t really kick the paparazzi out of my way, even if I’d love to.” She laughed weakly.

“This is not about the paparazzi. Steve showed me the death threats. And the – _other_ threats,” Natasha replied calmly.

“Oh those – I don’t think we have to worry about them. It’s just a bunch of crazy people saying stupid stuff because they’re anonymous,” Darcy said light-heartedly.

“Maybe. But whether you like it or not, you’re Captain America’s girlfriend. You’re associated with every Avenger, with the CEO of one of the world’s leading tech companies, and with three of our time’s most important scientists, one of whom can create portals to other worlds. I don’t want to scare you, but if you’re asking me, it’s only a matter of time until you get into a sticky situation. Either someone will try to hurt you to get to Steve or anyone of us, or they will try to recruit you – maybe even by force. As I said, I can’t turn you into someone with my, Steve’s or Barton’s skill-set, but there are a few things I can teach you that can at least get out of a situation early on or buy you some time,” Natasha replied patiently. Her eyes were still trained on Darcy, and Darcy got the feeling that the assassin wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Um, ok, that makes sense, I guess… But I should warn you – I’m not really the athletic type. I mean, I’m ok at skiing and ice-skating from growing up in the mountains in Colorado, but I have no idea about martial arts and I didn’t even make the cheerleading B-team in middle school,” she explained uneasily.

Natasha raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“I doubt that chanting and cartwheels are going to keep off any bad guys, so you’re good in that regard,” she replied, a smile ghosting across her lips. “But all the snow stuff will definitely come in handy. Well, the skills you needed to become good at the snow stuff, anyway.”

Natasha rose and Darcy followed suit.

“Ok then. We’ll start tomorrow. 6 am on the hand-to-hand combat practice floor. You won’t need any shoes,” Natasha concluded in a firm voice.

Darcy nodded.

“Ok, see you then,” she replied. Natasha turned and strode back to the elevator when Darcy had one more thought.

“Did Steve ask you to do this?” she asked.

“No, he doesn’t even know I’m here. He just told me about the media thing. I wanted to talk to you first,” Natasha replied. “I’ve actually been thinking about teaching you for a while now. We should have done this before you guys went off to look for Barnes. Even if you were just running Ops during those missions, things could easily have gone south. Seeing Steve so worried today made me finally get started on our training.”

Darcy nodded slowly. “Ok, ah, thanks again,” she said with a timid smile. Natasha nodded curtly and stepped into the elevator. When the doors had closed behind her, Darcy let out a deep breath. She just hoped that she wouldn’t completely embarrass herself in front of Natasha.

 


	6. A Two-Way Street

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve doesn't like bullies, and Christine Everhart is one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to everyone who commented so quickly after I uploaded the last chapter. I promise that I haven't abandoned this story, I just had very little time to write in 2015. Thankfully, it's the holidays and I have some time now, so here comes a second chapter for today!

“That’s right! Don’t forget to bend you knees! Always go straight back to your combat ready stance! Again!”  


Natasha’s voice rang through the gym as Darcy followed her commands. Darcy was covered in sweat, and her fringe was plastered to her forehead as she panted heavily. It was their fifth lesson, and while Darcy generally enjoyed learning how to kick, punch, and throw others, she was beginning to think that she’d never actually get anywhere with her exercises. She tried her best to follow Natasha’s lead to the point, but while the movements looked graciously easy when Natasha did them, Darcy felt clumsy and inept at every step. They did the exact same exercises at every practice, and Darcy was angry at herself for apparently not getting a hang of the basics so that Natasha could move on to the next training set. 

“Stay lose on your toes! You’re becoming inflexible. Why are you tensing up again? Relax!” Natasha suddenly moved from behind the heavy bag she was holding for Darcy to stand next to her.  
“Sorry,” Darcy mumbled.  
“Sorry for what?” Natasha asked a little bit surprised.  
“Look, I’m really grateful that you’re trying to teach me how to defend myself, but you really don’t have to waste your time. I’m clearly not good at this,” Darcy said, defeated.  
“What makes you think that? You’re doing well,” Natasha countered calmly.  
“What? How? I feel like a complete klutz! The movements look so perfect and easy when you do them, and when I try, I feel like I can’t even walk straight!” Darcy countered exasperatedly.  
Natasha raised an eyebrow.  
“Well one, I’ve done this ever since I was four years old, so you obviously won’t be able to do the exercises just like me. And two, trust yourself. Trust your body. Listen to your body, feel it. Focus on nothing but each step of the punch. Ready stance. Aim. Punch. Withdraw. Ready stance. Repeat.” Natasha urged. When her gaze met Darcy’s dejected expression, Natasha’s features softened.  
“Look, I have no reason to lie to you. You are doing well. But you’re also not doing as well as you could. You’re holding back. Where is that self-confidence that I saw when you told those guys off at the club when you first met Steve?” She paused. “Is it because of what the media have been saying about you?”

Darcy chewed on her bottom lip and avoided Natasha’s gaze. As much as she’d told herself the last few months that she wouldn’t let that horrid media chatter get to her, deep down she had to admit that it was slowly chipping away at her confidence. 

“Look at me,” Natasha commanded quietly and reached for one of Darcy’s hands. Darcy uneasily met Natasha’s gaze, who placed Darcy’s hand on to the heavy bag. 

“They’re not here right now. Right now, it’s just you and the heavy bag. Nothing outside of this room matters. Every punch you make, every kick, every twist and turn is just for yourself. Everything you do in here makes you stronger. Everything you do in here is an expression of who you are – strong, focused, capable. Your movements aren’t perfect yet, but they will be. And every step you take in here, no matter how small, makes you better. You have to trust yourself, though. And you have to turn off your brain, and let your body take over. Just focus, and do.”  
Natasha’s voice was incredibly soothing, and Darcy could almost feel the outside of the gym melt away in her mind’s eye. 

Darcy nodded hesitantly. 

“Ok then. Ready stance.” Natasha stated as she returned to her previous spot to hold the heavy bag. Darcy followed Natasha’s instruction. 

“Breathe, focus. Find your aim. Find the spot far behind it that you want to get to. See it, see the path your hand will take. If it helps, imagine that the aim has the face of one of the people writing crap about you. But don’t lose your focus. This is your terrain. And when you’re ready, punch.” Natasha continued. 

Darcy closed her eyes for a brief moment and drew up the profile picture of one of her most persistent haters. As per Natasha’s instructions, she envisioned the path her hand would take, coiled her body, and punched. 

“Great! That’s what I’m talking about!” Natasha exclaimed. “And again!”

 

Darcy balanced her full plate in one hand and a glass of orange juice in her other as she made her way into the living room of the Avengers Tower’s communal area. Her training sessions with Natasha left her absolutely ravenous, and she couldn’t wait to dig in. When she reached the couches opposite the giant flat screen TV, she found Tony sitting on a blanket on the ground and playing with little Edward. It seemed that Tony tried to catch Edward’s attention with a moving dog toy, but the toddler couldn’t care less and focused on a bunch of colorful play chips instead. 

“Hey, do you mind if I watch Steve’s broadcast up here?” Darcy asked.  
“Go ahead. Looks like my son has inherited Pepper’s disinterest for mechanics,” Tony answered as he jumped to his feet and flopped down on to one of the sofas instead.  
“Oh come on, it’s way too early to know about that. Eddie is not even a year old,” Darcy countered as she flipped through the programs to find Steve’s interview with Barbara Walters and Christine Everhart.  
“Exactly. I’d already taken my first toy train apart at that age,” Tony responded indignantly as he eyed his son, who now seemed occupied making little heaps out of the chips.  
“Well, at least your son can’t suffocate on small bits when he leaves the things around him whole. And who knows, maybe he’ll become a famous artist or something instead,” Darcy defended little Eddie as she stroked his head. Eddie seemed to enjoy the attention and he stretched his arms out towards her. Darcy obliged and lifted the toddler into her lap.  
Tony pulled a face at her last sentence. “As long as he’s happy, I guess,” he answered.  
Darcy just rolled her eyes and fed Eddie a piece of banana.  
“Don’t worry, little Eddie. It’s actually a really good thing if you’re taking more after your mom. Trust me,” she cooed.  
“That was mean,” Tony complained, but Darcy only shrugged.  
“And true,” she grinned.  
Tony just huffed, turned his attention to the Stark pad in front of him and began to tap away on it. In the background, the program had started. 

“It’s been almost a year since Captain Rogers, or Captain America, as he is more commonly known, and Agent Natalia Romanoff made all of SHIELD’s files public. The information released that day was so vast that we still haven’t been able to sift through all of it, but from the information that we have gone through so far, a lot of change has come about. Joining us today is the man himself, Captain Steve Rogers, who will talk to us about the consequences that we’ve seen until today from the SHIELD data publication, and also about what else we will have to tackle in the coming months and years. Good morning, Captain Rogers.”

Darcy watched how Steve politely greeted Christine Everhart and Barbara Walters, and how the three of them dove right into some of the major political developments that had followed the information dump. One of the biggest issues they were talking about, mostly driven by Barbara Walters, was the global movement to reduce government surveillance and invasion of privacy that seemed to span every single country these days. The discussion went on for almost twenty minutes, and Darcy had to say that Steve was doing a great job. He’d prepared himself for this interview in great detail, and it certainly showed.

Tony put the pad down on to the table in front of him and began working on a holographic picture on top of it. Darcy was just feeding Eddie another piece of banana when she froze at the question that Christine Everhart asked next. 

“Well, thanks to the SHIELD information leak we also got to know a little more about you yourself, Captain Rogers. It seems that one thing the public has been especially interested in is your girlfriend, Darcy Lewis. Don’t you want to tell us a little more about her?” Christine had a big smile plastered on her face, while Barbara Walters next to her only rolled her eyes.  
Tony looked up from the hologram and directed an amused look towards Darcy.  
Steve set his jaw.  
“I’d actually prefer not to discuss my private life,” he answered, his expression friendly but his eyes hard.  
“Which we completely understand. It’s hardly appropriate for this setting,” Barbara Walters cut in.  
“Actually, I believe the question is more than justified. Captain America is, after all, more than just a member of the military or a government agent. Captain America is a national icon, who represents the American people and its values. Therefore, it is only understandable if the public would like to know more about the person who is his most intimate confidante,” Christine continued, clearly on a mission.  
“Yeah, when she’s sunk her teeth into something she’s difficult to stop. Trust me, I know first-hand,” Tony stated, still focused on the hologram.  
Darcy could imagine what he was talking about and chose to ignore him. She just hoped that Steve would be able to avoid Christine’s questions. 

Steve cleared his throat.  
“I don’t think that I am an American icon representing the American people and their values. I’m a human, just like you, and I believe in human rights, like so many others around the world. If we want to make the world a better place to live in, we have to stand up to injustice in any way we can. I happen to be able to do so more physically than others, but that doesn’t make me any different from the thousands of people world-wide who risk their lives and safety on a daily basis because they believe in freedom for humanity and in creating the best world possible for our children.” 

“Does he practice these little speeches in the bedroom mirror? Because I’m sure he does. How can anyone just come up with such heroic little sound bites? Please tell me you’ve seen him practice,” Tony commented in his usual sardonic manner.  
Darcy chose to ignore him once again and focused on the screen. Barbara Walters wanted to say something, but Christine was faster. 

“’The best world possible for our children?’ Does that mean we will get to hear Captain America’s wedding bells soon?” she chimed. 

Steve didn’t reply right away, so Christine ploughed on. 

“Look, I don’t mean to pry, but as it is, the American public has a lot of questions regarding your girlfriend. I’m sure that you can see that a lot of people have some … reservations regarding her, given her background. Despite the fact that she has no qualifications worth mentioning, she became the famous Dr. Fosters’ assistant, has been involved in two extraterrestrial incidents as a result, and has become part of the elite circle surrounding the Avengers. That’s quite a trajectory for a plain girl from Smalltown, Colorado with a mediocre college degree, and I’m just saying that it makes some people wonder what her motivation is.”

“Now that’s just rude. You wanna talk about mediocre? Ever read any of your own articles?” Tony muttered as he continued tapping away on his hologram. 

Darcy tried her best to ignore the sting of Christine’s words and held Eddie a little tighter. Looking at Steve’s facial expression, she could tell that Christine’s words had their desired effect. He looked positively furious. However, one second later, he briefly closed his eyes and smoothed over his features. When he opened his eyes again, he fixed Christine with a glare that seemed to cut through her. 

“Not even two minutes ago, we discussed the right to privacy for people around the world. And now you, like so many of your colleagues, are sitting here severely violating my girlfriend’s privacy again and again under the mantle of “public interest”. Please tell me that you see the irony in this.”  
Christine didn’t respond. Under Steve’s steely gaze she looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“Darcy is a wonderful person. She’s honest, she’s kind, and she’s funny. She’s brave, and resourceful, and she’s got my back no matter what. She’s been my rock throughout a very trying time, and people like you can only wish for her level of integrity and sincerity. And on top of all that, she’s smart. Very smart. She graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in the country for a reason. She’s a remarkable, complex human being, and when you and your colleagues draw flawed conclusions based solely on the little information that you have about her, and when you reduce her to her appearance and completely irrelevant standards of beauty, it’s offensive and degrading. It’s dehumanizing. Darcy, like anyone else in this world, in the public eye or not, has a right to privacy, and a right to be treated with respect and dignity. Given your and many other media’s track record of doing the exact opposite, you’ll understand that I call bullshit on what you just said. If the American public does indeed have questions regarding Darcy, it doesn’t matter, because our relationship and Darcy’s life is none of their business. And if you, as the media, want to act as the public’s spokespeople, then you should at least have the decency to act as basic human beings yourself and offer those that you report on a minimum level of respect. Accountability is a two-way street. If you demand fair treatment and honesty from others, you’ve got to practice what you preach yourself.”

Stunned silence followed Steve’s impassioned speech. Tony raised an eyebrow and just grinned at Darcy.  
“Don’t even think about it,” Darcy threatened, but she couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across her lips at Steve’s vocal defense of her. She bit her lip. God, she loved him.  
“I’m not saying anything,” Tony countered smugly. “But I’m never letting him live that down, either.”  
Darcy just threw a pillow in his direction with one hand and returned her attention to the screen. Barbara Walters had professionally taken the reigns, while Christine Everhart was still struggling for composure. 

“Thank you very much for your time, Captain Rogers. It has been a truly insightful discussion, and we’re wishing you all the best for the many momentous tasks that you are facing so frequently. You may just be a human, as you just said yourself, but your actions never fail to inspire millions around the world. Have a wonderful day!”

The program cut to an advertisement, and Darcy placed Eddie back on to his blanket. As she got up to return her plate and glass to the kitchen, she heard Tony say:

“He’s right, you know.”

Darcy turned back to him. 

“What?” she asked. 

“You’re his rock. I’m glad he has you. Don’t tell him I said that, though,” Tony said, not looking up from the pad in front of him. 

“Thanks,” Darcy replied a little confused. 

“You’re welcome,” Tony responded, his eyes never leaving the hologram. 

Darcy just shook her head and headed out to the kitchen. 

 

When Steve got home a few hours later, he made a beeline to Darcy who was working on something for Jane in the lounge of their apartment.  
“Hey,” she greeted him when he pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. 

“Hey,” Steve replied. He still seemed upset. “Did you see-?”

Darcy nodded and smiled. “Yep.”

Steve sat down next to her. 

“I’m really sorry I effectively dragged you into this,” he said apologetically. “I’ve probably made things even worse. I tried to keep calm but I just couldn’t help myself. I blew a fuse.” He sighed. “I just hate-“ 

“- bullies?” Darcy offered. 

“Yeah,” Steve looked at her sheepishly. 

Darcy set her laptop aside and climbed on to Steve’s lab. 

“Don’t worry, it’s all fine. There are much worse things that you could have done than defending my honor on national television.” She kissed him passionately and then fixed him with a grin. “And now that my knight in shining armor has come to my rescue, I’m at liberty to show him just how grateful I am.”


End file.
